Cincinnati Councilwoman Yvette Simpson, a Democrat and Charter Committee member, is running for mayor in 2017.

Every day we witness the effects of heroin in our city. Just this past weekend, in my neighborhood, I noticed cars with out-of-state license plates cruising down the street. One car picked up a man who appeared to be “walking dead,” dropped him off just a block away, then turned the corner heading toward the highway. Our city also recently suffered the loss of a beloved small business owner at the hands of a heroin-impaired motorist.

I regularly attend Community Council meetings where our firefighters give jaw-dropping data on the number of times each day they administer Narcan to revive someone. Our first responders are doing a tremendous job of saving lives, but that is not enough. We need a more comprehensive strategy to fight this growing epidemic that is gripping our communities.

This is more than a public health issue; it is a personal issue for many families. I know this story far too well. My father was addicted to drugs when I was a child. I am proud to say he has been clean for more than 20 years. But not every story ends so successfully. If we only react to today’s epidemic without treating its root causes, we are merely putting a Band-Aid on a bullet wound, and will never see a long-term reduction in heroin use and its tragic effects.

I recently filed a motion directing our city administration to take a more comprehensive, strategic approach to fighting the heroin epidemic. My five recommendations include the creation of a Central Access Point for treatment providers and a dashboard to help track individuals in the treatment system. The best examples of these systems are being used by Strategies to End Homelessness and Change Court. Further, we must explore ways to hold individuals, once revived, until they can be transferred to treatment, to prevent future harm to the individual or others. We must also fill the gap that exists in treatment beds and resources to ensure immediate treatment for those who are ready. Finally, we must implement best practice heroin enforcement legislation to better deter the sale and use of heroin in our city. These recommendations are just the beginning; we must also diligently work on prevention.

For the health and well-being of our neighborhoods, we need an immediate response and long-term solutions to this crisis. As mayor, combating this issue will be a priority, and our city will lead in resolving chronic issues like this one. All of our citizens deserve to live in safe communities. This is not only a problem that affects just an individual, household, or city; it affects our entire region.

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